1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical apparatus for cleaning surfaces by suction, of the type comprising a suction unit having a casing within which at least one fan is operatively housed, which fan is operated by at least one electric driving motor for producing an air stream admitted through at least one suction opening exhibited frontally by the casing and emitted through delivery slits located on the casing itself; a collection container for receiving the drawn in material, which is removably engaged to the casing of the suction unit substantially in a sealing manner about said suction opening and is provided with an inlet that opens onto the opposite side with respect to the casing; at least one filtering element operatively interposed between said suction opening and the collection container, for holding at the inside of said container the solid matter taken in through said inlet; at least one storage battery for powering said electric driving motor.
The apparatus in question is especially conceived for carrying out cleaning operations on floors, fitted carpets and carpets in dwelling premises, business premises and the like.
2. Prior Art
It is known that there are currently many types of surface-cleaning apparatus, such as vacuum-cleaners, electric brooms or the like that are adapted to collect dust and other particles laid down on said surfaces by a suction effect produced upon the action of a fan.
In more detail, there are many vacuum-cleaners in which the fan operated by a motor powered through the mains, draws air from a collection container defined with in the vacuum-cleaner structure or, in other cases, consisting of a bag made of a porous material and suitably housed in a chamber formed in said structure.
One end of a flexible wrinkled pipe opens into the collection container, the other pipe end being connected, upon interposition of handgrips and/or tubular extensions of the stiff type, to a brush or other appliance exhibiting an inlet through which, upon the action of the air stream produced by the fan, the material laying on the surface to be cleaned is sucked and conveyed to the collection container.
There are also electric brooms exhibiting a handle provided with a handgrip to which the casing housing the fan and the corresponding driving motor is directly connected, said driving motor being powered by storage batteries of the rechargeable type accommodated in the casing. The fan carries out suction of the air through an inlet that, upon interposition of a filtering element, communicates with the inside of a collection container. Opening into said container is a suction duct connected to a brush designed to act on the surface to be cleaned.
The foregoing being stated, it will be noted that any known type of vacuum cleaner, electric broom or other suction apparatus involves problems in terms of efficiency and practical use essentially due to the fact that a manual action is required on the part of the operator for pushing and dragging along the brush or other accessory designed to collect dust by suction, over the surface to be cleaned. In this respect it will be also recognized that in order to enable an operator to control the movements of the brush while he is standing, the brush must be connected to the handgrip by interposition of a stiff pipe or other stiff element of appropriate length. This situation brings about other problems when the surfaces to be cleaned are hardly accessible being for example located under a bed or a piece of furniture, which happens rather often. In all the above case, the presence of the stiff connecting elements between the brush and the handgrip, and the necessity of exerting a manual action for moving the brush makes the cleaning operation still more difficult and sometimes even impossible.